A Coventry cabbie who got a stabbing victim to hospital inside three minutes and saved his life is to receive a good citizen?s award from police.

A Coventry cabbie who got a stabbing victim to hospital inside three minutes and saved his life is to receive a good citizen?s award from police.

The young man?s throat had been slashed and he was bleeding to death.

Black-cab driver Christopher Discombe was the only taxi driver on the scene prepared to take the victim to hospital.

Mr Discombe, aged 55, from Madeira Croft, Chapelfields, stepped in to help a young man who had been the victim of an unprovoked attack in a city centre pub in April last year.

The victim needed more than 50 stitches to the wound.

Det Con Ben West, who nominated Mr Discombe for the award, said: ?An ambulance had been called but it was felt the man could not wait.

?Mr Discombe was the only taxi driver prepared to take the terribly injured victim, who was suffering massive blood loss, into his taxi.?

Mr Discombe got the injured man to hospital within three minutes, and doctors later said the victim would undoubtedly have bled to death.

The driver, who works for Trinity Taxis, was then unable to work for a couple of days whilst police experts examined his cab.

Father-of-two Mr Discombe, whose son-in-law is a police sergeant in the city, said he was pleased to be nominated for the award but added: ?Being able to save a life is thanks enough ? I?m just glad I was able to help.?

He said he was working an evening shift when he saw two men walking down the street, one being supported by his friend.

He added ?At the time I thought they were drunk but then I realised he was injured. A couple of the drivers in front of me refused to take them, but I couldn?t ignore someone in that situation.

?The cab was absolutely covered in blood ? it took a good few hours to clean it up, but it was worth it.?

Mr Discombe, a cabbie for 30 years, said he would never swap the job despite occasional problems: ?99 per cent of people are wonderful ? I?ve no complaints.?